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Gus Poyet has played down speculation linking Dimitar Berbatov with a move away from Tottenham.

The Bulgarian striker has yet to find top form this season and Juande Ramos' appointment as the successor to Martin Jol as Spurs boss has failed to stop reports circling that he is feeling unsettled at White Hart Lane.

Indeed the Daily Mirror claimed Berbatov's father had told Bulgarian TV: "My son doesn't feel happy at Tottenham any more. He wants to leave."

But first-team coach Poyet has insisted Spurs will not be affected by talk about Berbatov's future.

He told Sky Sports News: "Everybody starts talking because we are getting close to the transfer window, but from our point of view 'Berba' is here, the same as the other three strikers, so we have to count on them.

"One day in football you are sure that something is not going on, and then the next morning you wake up and it is a news story in the papers, so we have to be ready for everything."

Tottenham tackle Hapoel Tel-Aviv in their second UEFA Cup group game on Thursday, after losing to Getafe a fortnight ago.

But Poyet is still confident Tottenham can go on to win the competition, which has been won for the past two years by Sevilla under the management of Ramos.

"It is a big option to win a trophy. We were unlucky to lose the first game and we need to put it right straight away," he urged.

"It is one of the competitions that, with the quality in the team, we feel we can go all the way.

"He (Ramos) can make history by winning it three times, so it is important for us."